Settling Down
by Blank
Summary: Even the life of an adventurer can become tiring after a while. Expect to see original characters and settings, perhaps some monsters you know and love, and let us not forget the most important part; ACTION FARMING!
1. Chapter 0 : The grass is always greener

Settling Down, A "Rune Factory" Fanfiction

Though I say fan fiction, I have no plans to use any of the characters from any of the actual games. That's right; I'm going for (gasp!) ORIGINAL CHARACTERS HERE! Any resemblance to any of the characters or setting in ANY of the Harvest Moon series or any of their spinoffs is completely coincidental.

Don't get me wrong, though, this is still in the spirit of Rune Factory. But that's just it, it's got the _spirit_ of Rune Factory, and not much else. You might see some similar monsters from the series make an appearance, though, and if I feel the need to disclaim those parts I will when I write them.

If I get too much complaining on how it's not really a fic, though, I'll put this up on instead. I just felt it would work better here.

As it stands, this is just me writing for as long as I feel like, so you might not want to get too attached here. This is by NO MEANS my highest priority, and I wouldn't blame you if you just walked off after this.

Still, who knows, it might behoove you to stick around. But for now, let's get into the intro.

* * *

It was raining.

It was just the icing on the cake, wasn't it? Bad enough that he had nowhere to go, but now it was like the world around him just didn't want him to be happy again.

Not that it really mattered. He had grown weary of his current state of affairs at least a year ago, if not longer. The rain was pretty much another drop of water in the bucket by this point.

He was tired.

Tired of the constant wandering, the constant danger, the constant surprises. He'd been going through the motions since he was at least eight, and it was a constant weight on his shoulders. Not that it was always bad, of course, not in the slightest. Still, he wanted to have some _stability_ in his life, something that he could rely on being there. He wanted _recognition_ when he actually pulled of an amazing feat. (It's amazing how few people will believe you when you say you killed a dragon without proof). He wanted health, he wanted love, he…

…he wanted a home. Dammit, eighteen-year olds should NOT be having these kinds of thoughts.

He sighed in resignation, though, and shifted the weight of his pack upon his bag. He double checked to make sure what remained of his previous sword was still there (they never lasted) and continued putting one foot in front of the other.

He'd be approaching his supposed destination soon, supposedly. But it didn't matter to him. It would just be another village/town/city full of people whom he would never know. Just another den of strangers, who were at first glad to see him, but only for so long.

The thoughts of people he didn't know brought forth thoughts of some that he did, and few a few moments he was actually allowed a period of happy thoughts, reliving some of the excitement they had over the past few years. A small smile crept to his face, and he temporarily forgot about his unsatisfactory life.

Only temporarily, though, as the rain, which almost seemed to be following his thoughts exclusively, started to downpour, leading our weary traveler to realize he probably should find some sort of shelter before getting soaked to the bone.

Rain can be sadistic like that.

The good news was that there was a shed nearby. The bad news was that "nearby" meant nearly a quarter mile away. By the time he reached his intended shelter, it probably wouldn't have mattered if he had stayed in the rain any longer.

The shed itself was in horrible repair, and was leaking in many spots, but he'd been able to survive in hovels much worse than this. Sighing, he took a seat, and attempted to regain the glory of being dry once more, with all signs pointing to the fact that this wasn't likely to happen.

His thoughts returned to his state of life. Not horrible by any means, yet not what he truly wants. Heh, the grass is always greener, huh? He thought it a bit funny that while everyone else around him wanted _more_ excitement in their lives, he wanted less. Dammit, how could he get out of this circle of adventure? Would the story of his exploits ever end? Would he EVER BE ABLE TO GET A SINGLE MOMENT OF REST WITHOUT HAVING TO THINK ABOUT WHERE HE WOULD BE THE NEXT DAY DAMMIT!

He took out his aggression on the nearby wall, which though in disrepair seemed to take the blow quite well. Afterwards, the wall did something that most walls tend to avoid; it retaliated.

"OW!", our bitter adventurer screamed. Feeling a bit dazed from the sudden blow to the head, he reached for his (broken) sword and turned to face his assailant. After realizing his assailant was a box, he put his not-so-much-of-a-sword away foolishly.

It was getting a bit dark, so he pulled a small lamp from his pack and lit it up. His surroundings came into view, not that they were much to speak of. Most of the shed was empty, save a few empty shelves attached to the wall here and there. The only other thing of notice was an old box in the corner, full of what seemed to be old farming tools.

Heh, farming. No wonder this shed was in disrepair. Still, he had to admit that the shed had a … nostalgic air to it, bringing him back to his childhood days.

But his attention soon turned back to the box that had most likely been on the shelf above where he was sitting. Making sure that there was nothing else up there, he sat back against the wall and opened the smallish container. Inside was a small book, as well as a packet of some sort. Looking inside the packet he found a bunch of what appeared to be seeds. Seeds to what, though, he wasn't sure, as there were no markings indicating what they might be. Shrugging, he put them aside and picked up the book. It was a plain sort of thing, and it really looked like a diary of sorts rather than any sort of novel. Still, it wasn't like he had anything else to do, so he turned to the first page to see what it might be about. The first words on the page didn't stand out. They didn't shine with the brilliance of a thousand angels, nor did a holy trumpet sound when he read them. He didn't really think they were even all that interesting of words, and yet hold his interest they did.

"How to farm"

…Well it isn't like he has anything else going on. Sitting on the floor, his back to the wall, he turned the page.

* * *

Oh man oh man did I catch your interest? Will anything actually happen next time? Will our main protagonist ever actually get a name!

Well who knows. I certainly don't. But stick around, I might get in the mood for continuing this thing every once in a while. Just don't expect anything too big to happen at first. This is a story all about going slowly and taking your time, and that includes the plot as well.

As for the next chapter again, who knows. I write when I feel like it, and I haven't felt like it for a long time. Still, gotta admit that it feels kinda nice to be throwing down the words again. See ya next time.


	2. Chapter 1 : Loose Begginings

Prologue's over. Time to get into the good stuff.

I should probably mention that I will not be using the Harvest Moon calendar, but instead the real world one. Let's just say it's for pacing.

* * *

Settling Down

Chapter 1 – Loose Begginings

Tarbin is, no matter how you look at it, a town. The term fits it perfectly, as it is too small to be considered a city, yet too cosmopolitan to be considered a village. Located low in the middle of the empire, it couldn't be really considered a trading post, yet it see's enough traffic to flourish, despite its proximity to some monster-infested locations. (Heck, maybe even _because_ of it. Stocking for adventurers can often pay well if you know what you are doing) To Shine, however, it's just another town like all the rest. People passing by, children playing in the street, pretty young women turning their head as he passes by…

Well, an adventurer's physic does have some advantages…

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stick around for a bit, chat with the girls, see if there is any trouble bre… no, that wouldn't work. He already tried that once when he worked as a store clerk to earn some extra money. But it was dull work, and even his weary soul tired of it soon, leading him back onto the road.

His thoughts travel back to the book he found. It seemed fascinating at the time, talking about the Earth as if it were a living being. He thought whoever wrote it must have been a genius. Come morning, though, he realized that such methods were inefficient compared to Agrimagic. The book went on in detail of how one must have patience, and gave the impression that some crops could take _months_ to grow without magic, as opposed to days. Still, it was an entertaining read for the road, so he took the book with him, storing it in his bag of holding.

Shaking thoughts of what he read out of his head, he continued the search for his intended destination. From what he picked up, it was some noble's house, which was somewhat odd considering the cargo (a package of _rocks_, as far as he could tell), but the pay was alright and the job didn't seem dangerous, so here he was.

Passing through the town square, he made his way northward, asking directions as he went. Before he knew it, he arrived at a medium sized set of gates, housing within them a large white mansion; three stories high, with gold trimming around both the edges of the windows as well as the corners, it gave off a sense of wealth, while at the same time not being too imposing.

Spotting a bell next to the right-hand gate, Shine pulled down on the cord, hoping to alert a person inside. Soon after, a young-looking elf maid came running out of the mansion. Of course, young-looking was the key here, since an elves' true age could not be so easily discerned by human eyes. Still, with thin smooth arms, long silky hair, and a pretty face it was pretty obvious that she was probably considered a teenager among the elves. The uniform showing off ample chest didn't hurt either.

"How may I help you?" She asked in a seemingly impatient manner.

"I'm here to deliver a package", Shine replied, pulling it out of his bag of holding with a grunt.

"Very well, hand it over then."

"Ah, I'd like it if I were paid first, if you don't mind."

A look of slight annoyance passed across her face, but after a moment she said, "Please wait a moment," and went back inside. A few minutes later she comes back out, opens up the gate, and beckons shine inside.

The lobby is open and sunny, with a grand staircase in the coming up both ways to meet in the middle of the second floor. Doors all over led to who knows where, and the way to get to the third floor remained unapparent. Standing in the middle of the polished-tile first floor was an elf that looked to be middle aged by human terms. He stood with an air of dignity, and gave off the air of importance while at the same time remaining casual, mirroring the view of the mansion in some respects.

"Ah, the courier, I assume?" He said in a neutral tone, "I have your payment right here, so if you would kindly…?"

Shine handed over the package while accepting the payment in Geian Dollars. Counting over the payment, he stopped short when his client turned the package on the floor and started shifting through the rubble.

"Nothing" He said with a disappointed air. "How disappointing. Elsa?" He intones to the young elvin maid.

"At once, Master Jermain" She opens what turns out to be a broom closet and begins cleaning up the mess.

Shine stands on the spot for a few more seconds, not sure as to what he should be doing. Jermain notices that he is still there, and gestures to follow him outside. Once there, he goes into detail on how he is a fan of rare rocks and geodes, often placing orders from far off regions. This particular shipment, unfortunately, didn't seem to have anything that he didn't already own.

"Still, it isn't a total loss. After all, there were a few rare ones in there. A man needs his hobbies after all, eh?"

Shine uncomfortably agrees, and tries get the fact that he should be going across without sounding too insulting. Luckily, he is saved by Elsa running back out.

"I apologize for interrupting, Master Jermain, but the young mistress has been calling for you."

"Ah, very well" He says, walking Shine up to the gate. "Keep an eye out for those geodes for me, eh? I'll pay a good sum if you find any good ones. After all, the earth is the greatest treasure of all, isn't it?"

Shine pauses for a moment as the words ring in his heart. They sound very close to what he read last night. The moment passes, though, and he says goodbye to the odd elf household, walking back to the main part of town.

Walking around the main square, Shine begins to wonder where he should go next. Thinking it through, his mind returns to that old patch of farmland he spent the night in. His mind wanders over the words that Jermain said. "The earth is the greatest treasure of all". One thought leads to another and he suddenly finds himself thinking about whether or not it would be interesting to try it out. He shakes the idea out of his head from the sheer ludicrousness of it. Even if he were to try, he has no land, no tools, and he doubts that he would be able to make much off of it, what with Agrimagic being the main competition.

…Still, it's not like he doesn't have any income. If fact, he considers himself being moderately wealthy from all the loot and bounties he has collected over the years. It wouldn't hurt to try. Maybe if he could go back to that piece of land he slept the past night at…

No, it was one thing to take shelter in a run down shack during a rainstorm, and an entirely different one to use the land as if it were one's own. (Books are an entirely different story, of course, especially those that have been obviously abandoned. Nope, not stealing however you look at it) These thoughts put away all ideas of farming out of his head, and even though a little melancholy remained, he made his way to the local chapter of the Guild.

* * *

The Guild was the primary establishment for adventurer around the Gea empire. Founded around 500 years ago, it is the primary means of finding adventuring jobs and bounties, as well as a good place to rest and relax. Most outposts double as a bar and inn, allowing to adventurers to find what they need without too much hassle.

Entering through the swinging double doors, Shine walks in to find a young blond woman manning the front desk. Looking up, she gives Shine a pretty smile, after which she turns back to writing in the large tome below her.

Shine throws her a smile back, but it soon fades as he walks over to the large postings board. Just another pretty face in another town that he would soon leave behind. Looking at the various job postings, bounties and advertisements, he tries to find something that catches his eye. He almost gives up on there being anything worthwhile, even going as far as to start to turn away to rent a room from the young woman, when he spots an advertisement out of the corner of his eye.

"FOR SALE: PATCH OF LAND. GOOD FOR BUILDING OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO WITH IT, I CERTAINLY DON'T CARE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE DREM THE BLACKSMITH."

Below the large print was a description of the land for sale. Small patch of land, run down shed, it almost sounded like-

Sometimes, fate will never tell you which way to go and you can only rely on your own guts and intuition to guide the way. At other times, though, it not only gives you a sign, it smashes it into your face and leaves an imprint. And when you are an adventurer, you learn to either pick up on these signs or have your face smashed in. Yanking the flyer off the wall, Shine runs out of the Guild at a hurried pace, surprising the young woman at the desk as he passes by. Finding the spot where he tore off the ad, a look of surprise comes across her face. That ad had been there for months, and she was about to take it down. What would an adventurer want with a piece of land like _that_?

* * *

"I'm not going to lie to you, that piece of land isn't a good buy," Drem intones as he hammers a glowing sword on his anvil. "It has no magic in it, which makes it useless for growin' stuff the way you humans are used to. And even though it's close to the town, it's still too far off to build anything of importance."

The Dwarf speaks with a slight accent, but otherwise his common is very good. Short and stocky, he gives off an aura of both strength and honesty, which is making Shine a bit uncomfortable, considering the book he took most likely belongs to the Dwarf standing in front of him.

Throwing the sword into a barrel of water, he turns back to Shine and asks, "That said, you still interested?"

Shine nods. "I'd like to try something… well, let's call it an experiment."

Drem shrugs. "Well, whatever you want. It'll be a weight off my mind. It's a useless piece of land, after all. Belonged to my Grandfather, back when food was made the old way. Now that makin' food by magic has taken hold, though, it's unlikely that we'll ever return to those old ways. A shame, but not much one can do about it."

Hearing the words "The old way", Shine hesitates. A moment later he asks, "By the old ways, would you be referring to farming?"

Drem stares for a few seconds, and then lets out a few chuckles. "So that's what you have in mind, eh? Where did that idea ever pop into your head?"

Again Shine hesitates, and then decides that since the Dwarf has been honest with him, he should be honest in return. He pulls out the book and presents it.

Drem's eyebrows shoot up as he takes the book and looks it through. "Well, well," he intones, "Now how did I end up missing this?" After hearing Shine explain about the box it was in, Drem nods. "Never did get to clean that place out fully." He spends a little while longer staring at the book's contents before handing it back over.

"Never thought the old man would ever write a book. Never seemed like the type for words. Still, I guess we all have secrets, eh?" Drem chortles a bit before going on. "Keep the book, you seem to have taken a liking to it, and it will probably help you more then it would ever help me. The shed is part of the deal anyways, so it's yours by right in any case."

Drem puts his hands over the anvil and leans forward toward Shine with a smile that contains amusement.

"That is, of course, assuming that we still have a deal?"

* * *

Drem didn't have any tools available, since farming was outdated long ago, but he said that he would work on some if Shine asked in the future, should the need arise. As it stood, the tools in the shed would probably suffice. They were well built, and even in old age the tools made by a dwarf were still good.

Shine rushed to the general store for supplies. The elderly man standing behind the counter looked surprised, but was glad for the business, and had his brown-haired granddaughter help Shine out as he picked out some rations, as well as some seeds. Since it was the beginning of spring, turnips seemed to be a good place to start. Paying the shopkeeper, he rushed back out, leaving the old man and his granddaughter wondering just what he had planned.

Arriving at the shed, Shine moved things around until he had a makeshift home. It was a shame that the small cottage that used to be nearby was somehow destroyed, but what can you do. Drem said the house fell during an army raid within the past few centuries, and Shine decided to not pry any further. In any case, Shine wasn't really planning to stay for long enough that a house was needed anyways. Calling this an experiment wasn't too far off the mark. He had no idea what would happen, and in a way he kinda liked it like that for now. Maybe if this panned out, though…

But that was a _really_ big if. Best to smart small and assume that it would go far. Walking outside, Shine surveyed the land that was now his. The flyer had said small, but seeing it midday like this made him realize that it was actually more of a medium plot of land for its size. That suited him just fine; small would have been more than enough on its own, the extra land is just a bonus. Near the shed there was a small pond, and bordering the edge of his land parallel to the road was a small creek. Seemed like he could catch fish if all else failed, if he could find a rod.

Well, no time like the present. Stepping out onto the dirt close to his hut, Shine opened up the book to the beginning and started reading.

"_The first step that any farmer must take in farming is the plowing of the land. A sacred rite, it brings the farmer and the earth together, as one works the other to reach their full potential and vice versa. A good farmer learns to channel his energy through his plow, and by sending it through the earth he is rewarded by the earth's own energy in return…"_

The book went on like this, describing the connection between the earth and the farmer in more detail. In fact, there really wasn't much about plowing at all, with the only real advice being, "_Take the plow over your head, put it into the ground sharp end first, pull towards you, step forward, repeat. When you finish one row, start another, and keep going 'till you run out of land."_

Shine looked the advice over a second time. It seemed easy enough. Turning back to the beginning, he glanced over the word "channeling". The word reminded him of how one could channel energy through a weapon to achieve better results. Wondering if there were any similarities, he eventually decides against trying it. The last sword he had was a pretty decent one, and even that one broke after channeling energy through it a few times. Though the old tools were sturdy, he didn't want to risk breaking them, since they were all he had at the moment.

Well whatever. He put the book away and took the old hoe out of his bag of holding. There was a lot of land to be plowed, but he didn't let that deter him. After all, it's just moving dirt. How hard could it be? Walking to the corner of his new land, he raised the hoe over his head. Savoring the moment a bit, he swung the hoe forward and punctured it into the land.

* * *

Author's Notes, apologies for the length:

What kind of abomination will be unleashed from that unassuming puncture? (Answer: None) What exactly is channeling? (Answer: The art of sending energy through weapons and tools to increase the effects. I.E. Charging your weapon) When will this story pick up! (Answer: …heh heh heh…)

Tune in next time for the next exiting episode of ACTION FARMING (not the story's actual name)

That aside, let's have a few notes for real here. Three things, really. One, no the dwarf does not have a Scottish accent. I know all Dwarfs are the same, but I hate stereotyping, so there you go.

Second, I realize that this he gets the land in an absurdly short amount of time, but hey, it's basically the same length as any other Rune Factory/Harvest Moon intro. And I didn't really want to drag this part out, considering the pace I intend to go at. Getting the land didn't need to take up two chapters worth of time since in the end we all knew that this was probably where he was going to end up. Feel free to review and prove me wrong, though.

And finially, after each chapter from now on, I'm going to include a friendship/affection chart, just like one might actually find in a Rune Factory/Harvest Moon game. If a person isn't named, there will still be a short description of them if they will probably be a major character in the story somehow. After I give the person in question a proper introduction, I'll replace their description with their name. Shine, being the protagonist, won't show up, since these relations will mainly be from my perspective of how others fell about him. What are his feelings on other people? Well, I hope the story will convey those as we go along.

* * *

f is friendship, and h stands for heart/affection. A capital F or H stands for either greater friendship or love/affection, respectively.

Jermain : f (he likes people who listen to him about rocks)

Elsa:

Drem: f

Blond girl at guild front desk:

General Store Shopkeeper:

General Store Shopkeeper's Granddaughter:

* * *

Aww, no love interest to ship at yet? It's only the second chapter. Trust me, we'll get there, it will just take time. Not that I doubt that some of you aren't going crazy at it already…

Well anyways, I will probably be less wordy in these before and after notes from now on. Just wanted a reference point in the archives so people aren't confused later.

If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in a review. If I like it enough, I might work it into the story somehow. (Yay interactive fiction! Well, interactive fan-fiction!)

See you next time in Chaper 2, entitled "Die Earth Die!"


	3. Chapter 2 : Die Earth Die

Settling Down

Chapter 2 : Die Earth Die

* * *

-An hour later-

HARD.

THIS IS HARD!

Drenched in sweat, Shine paused in his work to rest his arms. Looking at what he had covered so far, he found himself chagrined at the fact that he had only been able to make two rows across the field so far, which at this point looked a lot larger than he had first imagined. In addition, the earth was cluttered with sticks, rocks, weeds, and in one case a stump on the far end of the land, which meant that he had to constantly remove all this clutter as he went along. The creek helped with this in some respects, and the sticks he picked up were good for firewood, but it was still hard going.

"Still, it probably can't get any worse than this." He thought to himself. Letting out a small sigh, he turned around and started on a new row.

* * *

-2 hours minutes after that-

AAUUUUGGHHH!

This is so frustrating! How in the word did people manage before agrimagic? Turning around, he felt his anger rise as he looked at the unplowed earth at his feet. Clearly, it was mocking him for attempting to move the unmovable. It was if it was saying, 'Five rows? A crippled goblin could do more than that! HAHAHAHAHAHA!'

At this point, Shine realized that he was getting angry at the earth for laughing at him. Realizing how silly of an idea that is, he took a few deep breaths and focused. It wouldn't do to go crazy just because a job is harder than it looked. He focused himself, and then set off on his task once more.

* * *

-3 hours later-

That's it.

The earth has mocked him for the last time.

By now, Shine had been out in the field for around 6 hours, without taking a break or eating. He was probably suffering from over-exhaustion by this point, but that didn't matter to him. All that mattered to him was that the ground that he owned needed to be taught a lesson.

If it wants to see him as an enemy, then an enemy he shall be. "It brought it upon itself after all." he thought, "It had it's chance to cooperate, and it gave it up for it's own amusement."

Shifting into an attack stance, Shine positioned the hoe in his hands as he would a two handed blade. Pausing for a minute to gather his strength, he let out a battle cry, as he attacked the earth with all his might. As he struck the ground, only one word left his lips.

"DIE!"

* * *

At this point, a peddler of sorts happened to be passing by. As he went by the field, he noticed Shine tending his field. Of course, to the traveler it looked like Shine was in a complete frenzy of sorts, attacking the ground with some sort of implement while shouting obscenities. The traveler stared for a while before realizing that the obscenities were actually directed towards the ground he was attacking.

Shaking his head, the old traveler moved on his way. "I swear, the things kids up to these days…"

* * *

-Sunset, 4 hours later-

The door to the shed opened, and Shine stumbled in with a grin plastered to his face. He sure showed the earth. In the last 4 hours he had managed to get _5 whole rows_ done. Sure, only about 1/5th of the field was plowed, but he felt that he made his point. The earth would have to think twice from now on before…

Sadly, the rest of that thought was lost to the abyss as Shine literally fell into his bedroll and fell asleep the moment he hit the ground.

* * *

The next morning, Shine woke up starving, parched and aching all at the same time. Fortunately, the pond's water was more than pure enough to drink, and the rations, while not necessarily the tastiest of meals, sate d his hunger fast. The aching, however, persisted, so he decided to take it easy for a bit. No hurry, after all.

Recalling the previous day's work, Shine started leafing through the 'How to Farm' book again to double check that there wasn't any other advice that he could use in defeating the evil that was the ground. Soon he came upon a section of relevance:

…_understandably, you might get frustrated in your attempts and begin to attack the earth as though it were your enemy. What you have to realize, however, is that this is a pointless endeavor. The earth is stronger, tougher and older than you'll ever be, and attacking it will only make things harder for yourself. Instead, you must take it slowly, and reach an understanding with the earth. Don't attack it as if it were some wild animal; coax it along, slowly but surely. And above all, be patient. The ground will still be there tomorrow and the day after that; it ain't going anywhere. And even if all you're hard work is ruined in the end, just start again. It's all about patience…_

Shine pondered over what he read, and came to the conclusion that this would have been nice to know when he started the day out. It would probably behoove him to give the book a good read through today…

Ok, forget that. The book's structure made no sense to him. One second it was talking about crops, and the next thing you know it went into farm sizes, the seasons, and even _monsters_ of all things. Looking over the bit on sizes…

_If you are breaking up your farm's crust for the first time, you will probably want to start small. Forget making a huge amount of crops all at once for a while, and first just try to grow a single package of seeds. You can work your way up from there._

…forget it. The book might make a good reference, but Shine's method of dealing with most things was to barge right through first, figure things out later. He'd do this his own way first, the book's way second.

It was the late morning, and he was feeling somewhat rested, so he walked out of his shed to give his hard work a good look over. Thinking back to the advice he read, Shine took out a package of turnip seeds and walked over the plowed land closest to the shed.

Even Shine knew that one had to put seeds into the ground. That remained unchanged in the transition from farming to Agrimagic. The only question was the best way to do it.

"…well this _is_ an experiment, after all," he thought, "So it would probably be best to try out new methods and see how they work."

Keeping this thought in mind, Shine put all of the seeds in the package into the palm of his hand and hurled them into the air. After doint that he sighed, went to pick the seeds up off the ground, and consulted the book.

* * *

"On one hand it's extremely difficult, and on the other it's extremely boring. At the very least, it gives me a good impression as to why Agrimagic became so popular so quickly."

Having watered the seeds after planting them in a more appropriate manner, Shine found himself with nothing to do for the rest of the day. Having nothing better to do, he headed off to town to see if there was anything of interest, and found himself back at Drem's.

Drem snorted. "You humans are too impatient. You can't expect things to be easy from the get go." He paused for a moment, inspecting the piece of metal he was hammering on. "_Especially_ from the get go. You have to give a real commitment if you want to see anything come of it. Complaining will get you nowhere."

"You sound like the guy who wrote the book I'm referring to." Shine said, holding back a grin.

"I'll thank you for not referring to my grandfather like that, may Gaia bless his soul." Drem grumbled. "And what are you doing around here anyways? Don't you have anything better to do with your time?"

"Like what? At this point all I can really do is wait for the seeds to grow, right? What else can I do?"

Drem snorted. "'Yer still part of the guild, ain't ya? Go out and kill some monsters or something. I know for a fact that there's an overflow of jobs at the local guild. Not enough people to take care of them, after all."

"Why would that be?" Shine asked, "I can't imagine that a town like this would have that many problems."

"Looks can be deceiving like that, boy. This town may look peaceful enough, but it's pretty much surrounded by monster dens on all sides. Mind you, the local guard is enough to keep things steady around here, but there's still trouble aplenty."

"I doubt that I'll be of much help, then." Shine said as he held up the sheath holding up his broken blade, "A warrior is only as good as his weapon, and I can't really say that mine is that good."

Drem put down what he was working on and yanked the sheath from Shine. Looking at the broken blade within, Drem started to laugh out loud.

"You call **this** a blade? I'm surprised you were able to do anything with a piece of crap like this. What _you_ need is a dwarven blade, which I will be happy to sell to ya. I'll even take this piece of scrap as a trade in, for the nothing that it's worth. Now, let's go through what I have available…"

Shine let out a small sigh as he was led to the back where Drem kept his blades. A new sword might be nice, but he doubted that he would really need one in his new occupation.

Still, it was better safe then sorry. And Drem did have a point about having Shine having a lot of time on his hands. At the very least taking guild jobs would keep him from being bored. Turning his attention to the swords in front of him, Shine began to focus on picking out the one that suited him best.

* * *

Jermain : f

Elsa:

Drem: f and a half

Blond girl at guild front desk:

General Store Shopkeeper:

General Store Shopkeeper's Granddaughter:

The peddler of sorts:

Not too pleased with this chapter, but at least it moved things along a bit. I might come back to edit it another time if I feel like it, but at the same time it accomplished what I wanted so I doubt I ever will.

I can't really say that I know too much about agriculture in general, and I can't really say that it matters too much to me if I make a mistake in farming procedure. All I have to say is not to look too much into it, since I doubt I will be. This is not a fiction about the intricacies of farming, so you'll have to go elsewhere for something like that. In fact, as time goes along you'll probably see less and less farming in lue of more character interaction. It's just that right now, we need to get the basics down first.

Anyways, let me know what you think, and I'll see you next time.


End file.
